The harm cars do in California
- deaths, 2021–2024
- 17,097
- deaths, 2021–2024
- deaths a day
- 11.7
- deaths a day
- between injury crashes
- 3 min
- between injury crashes
01
Every dot is a person.
17,097 people died in crashes on California's roads from 2021–2024. 54 in 100 were in a car, truck or van. 31 in 100 were on foot or on a bicycle.
0people
- People in a car, truck or van9,218
- People on foot4,632
- People on a motorcycle2,380
- People on a bicycle631
- Other236
Each dot is one of the 17,097 people who died in a crash on a California road, 2021–2024. Source: NHTSA FARS.
02
It kills people who were never in a car.
69in 100
deaths were of someone outside a vehicle, or in a crash with someone else's vehicle.
5,263 of the 17,097 people who died in California were on foot or on a bicycle, outside any vehicle: 31 in 100. Another 6,536 died in a vehicle that crashed with another vehicle: 38 in 100. Only 31 in 100 died in a vehicle that no other vehicle was involved in.
- On foot or on a bicycle31 in 100
- In a vehicle, in a crash with another vehicle38 in 100
- In a vehicle with no other vehicle involved31 in 100
Every 100 people who died in a crash on a California road, 2021–2024. NHTSA FARS.
What killed the people on foot
8,984 pedestrians died in US traffic accidents in 2023. 7 were killed in a collision with a bicycle. 2,760 were killed by a car, pickup or van.
- Other or not specified5,342
- Car, pickup or van2,760
- Train572
- Heavy vehicle or bus249
- Motorcycle or other two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle54
- Bicycle7
Pedestrians killed in traffic accidents, by what they collided with (CDC death records, ICD-10 V01–V09, 2023, United States). Where the record doesn't say what hit the person it is under “Other or not specified”, so each named count is a minimum.
How often they kill, per mile driven
People on foot or on bicycles killed per 100 million vehicle-miles driven, by the kind of vehicle that struck them. The rates run from 0.15 to 0.32, so danger to people outside the vehicle comes with any motor vehicle. Cars, SUVs, pickups and vans do most of the driving, so they account for 92 in 100 of these deaths.
- Cars, SUVs, pickups and vans0.243 per 100M miles
6,987 people on foot or on bicycles killed
- Motorcycles0.233 per 100M miles
47 people on foot or on bicycles killed
- Buses0.316 per 100M miles
56 people on foot or on bicycles killed
- Large trucks0.155 per 100M miles
510 people on foot or on bicycles killed
1.13
deaths of people inside cars per 100 million vehicle-miles, on top of the people outside them (United States, 2023).
NHTSA, Motorcycles: 2023 Data (Traffic Safety Facts). A different measure from the bars above (occupants, not people struck), so compare with care.
United States, 2023: FARS deaths over FHWA vehicle-miles (Table VM-1). 940 deaths where the file doesn't say what struck the person are left out, so each rate is a minimum. Per vehicle-mile, not per passenger-mile: a bus carries far more people than a car.
And the air
California's Air Resources Board says over 5,000 premature deaths a year in the state are linked to fine particle pollution, and that on average mobile sources (cars, trucks, buses, trains and equipment) account for over 30 percent of people's exposure to it. It gives no deaths figure for cars alone, so these are not counted in the deaths above. California Air Resources Board, 2020 Mobile Source Strategy.
03
They were every age.
391
of them were children under 15. 75 were on foot, 17 on a bicycle. 271 were riding in a vehicle.
- Under 15391 · 2%
- 15 to 242,902 · 17%
- 25 to 446,546 · 38%
- 45 to 644,584 · 27%
- 65 and older2,619 · 15%
Age at death. 55 more have no age on record. FARS, 2021–2024.
557,409 years
of life lost before age 75. That is about 382 years every day, on California's roads.
Years of potential life lost before 75, the CDC's measure: for each death under 75, 75 minus the age.
04
It happens at every hour. Half of it at night.
EveryonePeople on foot8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Deaths by hour of the crash, FARS 2021–2024. People on foot at the worst hour: 495.
The worst hour is 8 p.m., with 1,140 deaths. 51 in 100 deaths happen between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
People walking die most at 8 p.m. (495 deaths). 64 in 100 were killed at night.
12
people die on California’s roads on an average day.
An average spread evenly over the day (FARS), not a count of today.
Every 2 hours 3 minutes, someone dies.
That is 11.7 people a day, 4,274 a year, counted from 2021–2024.
An average day: 12 people, one about every 123 minutes. Spaced evenly to show the rate, not the real times.
A classroom of 30 every 2.6 days.
Counting 30 to a classroom.
A plane of 150 every 13 days.
Counting a full 150-seat passenger plane.
A crash injures someone every 3 minutes.
823,652 reported crashes injured at least one person from 2021–2025. The injured are not counted in the deaths above.
Click a place
Pick any California city to see its traffic deaths and injury crashes per resident, how long its people commute, and what a car costs.
What's a walk or a bike ride from your home? See what's within reach without a car.
Crashes in California so far in 2026
From the state's crash reports on data.ca.gov, read daily. Reports keep arriving for weeks, so the latest months are the lowest for now.
What the reports show about crashes in California
- 40% of crashes injured someone.
- 25% were hit-and-run.
- 32% were on a freeway.
- 26% happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m.
Main causes of crashes in California
The main cause the reporting officer recorded, as a share of all 2,056,944 crashes. It is the officer's judgement at the scene.
- Unsafe speed28% · 584,246
- Unsafe turning or lane change21% · 425,377
- Failing to yield at an intersection or to turn9% · 184,865
- Driving under the influence9% · 183,616
- Straying from the lane or driving on the wrong side8% · 172,995
- Running a red light or stop sign6% · 129,305
By type of collision: rear end 30%, side swipe 22%, hit object 18%, broadside 18%, head-on 5%.
What time crashes happen in California
Crashes follow traffic: the most were at 5 p.m.. Deaths don't: the deadliest hour was 8 p.m., and 51% of deaths came between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Crashes in California by year
| 2021 | 422,980 | |
| 2022 | 405,254 | |
| 2023 | 409,826 | |
| 2024 | 417,140 | |
| 2025 | 401,744 |
Every crash reported to the police, whatever the vehicles. The latest year can still rise as late reports come in.
People on foot, on bikes and on motorcycles in California
- Crashes with a pedestrian: where they happen3% · 66,184
- Crashes with a bicyclist: where they happen3% · 53,632
- Crashes with a motorcyclist: where they happen3% · 63,799
Each is about one crash in thirty, yet people on foot, on bikes and on motorcycles were 45% of the deaths below: with no vehicle around them, a crash is far more often deadly.
Who died in crashes in California, 2021–2024
Of the 17,097 people who died, 54% were in a car, truck or van. The rest were on foot, on a motorcycle or a bicycle, or on something else.
- People in a car, truck or van54% · 9,218
- People on foot27% · 4,632
- People on a motorcycle14% · 2,380
- People on a bicycle4% · 631
- Other (scooters, wheelchairs, skateboards and more)1% · 236
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road (FARS). People on foot, on a motorcycle or on a bicycle are far fewer on the road, so these counts say nothing about who is more at risk per trip.
Who died in crashes in each state, 2021–2024
In California, 27% of the people killed were on foot; across the US, 18%. Each bar splits one state's deaths by who died.
- In a car, truck or van
- On foot
- On a motorcycle
- On a bicycle
- Other
- USUnited States18%
- AKAlaska20%
- ALAlabama13%
- ARArkansas12%
- AZArizona21%
- CACalifornia27%
- COColorado15%
- CTConnecticut18%
- DCDistrict Of Columbia40%
- DEDelaware21%
- FLFlorida22%
- GAGeorgia19%
- HIHawaii27%
- IAIowa7%
- IDIdaho8%
- ILIllinois16%
- INIndiana12%
- KSKansas9%
- KYKentucky13%
- LALouisiana19%
- MAMassachusetts20%
- MDMaryland24%
- MEMaine11%
- MIMichigan15%
- MNMinnesota10%
- MOMissouri13%
- MSMississippi12%
- MTMontana8%
- NCNorth Carolina15%
- NDNorth Dakota8%
- NENebraska7%
- NHNew Hampshire9%
- NJNew Jersey29%
- NMNew Mexico22%
- NVNevada23%
- NYNew York26%
- OHOhio12%
- OKOklahoma13%
- OROregon17%
- PAPennsylvania15%
- RIRhode Island16%
- SCSouth Carolina16%
- SDSouth Dakota9%
- TNTennessee14%
- TXTexas18%
- UTUtah14%
- VAVirginia14%
- VTVermont9%
- WAWashington20%
- WIWisconsin10%
- WVWest Virginia9%
- WYWyoming7%
Show as a table
| State | Deaths | In a car, truck or van | On foot | On a motorcycle | On a bicycle | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 166,230 | 64% | 18% | 15% | 3% | 1% |
| Alaska | 283 | 65% | 20% | 12% | 2% | 1% |
| Alabama | 3,907 | 76% | 13% | 10% | 1% | 0% |
| Arkansas | 2,528 | 72% | 12% | 14% | 1% | 1% |
| Arizona | 5,049 | 57% | 21% | 18% | 4% | 1% |
| California | 17,097 | 54% | 27% | 14% | 4% | 1% |
| Colorado | 2,864 | 61% | 15% | 20% | 2% | 1% |
| Connecticut | 1,287 | 59% | 18% | 21% | 1% | 1% |
| District Of Columbia | 164 | 37% | 40% | 17% | 6% | 0% |
| Delaware | 559 | 60% | 21% | 15% | 3% | 1% |
| Florida | 13,802 | 51% | 22% | 19% | 6% | 1% |
| Georgia | 6,618 | 67% | 19% | 12% | 1% | 1% |
| Hawaii | 405 | 36% | 27% | 29% | 6% | 1% |
| Iowa | 1,427 | 73% | 7% | 17% | 2% | 0% |
| Idaho | 1,001 | 75% | 8% | 14% | 2% | 0% |
| Illinois | 5,020 | 67% | 16% | 13% | 3% | 1% |
| Indiana | 3,644 | 70% | 12% | 15% | 2% | 1% |
| Kansas | 1,559 | 76% | 9% | 13% | 2% | 0% |
| Kentucky | 3,071 | 71% | 13% | 14% | 2% | 0% |
| Louisiana | 3,440 | 65% | 19% | 10% | 5% | 0% |
| Massachusetts | 1,553 | 60% | 20% | 17% | 2% | 1% |
| Maryland | 2,328 | 58% | 24% | 15% | 2% | 1% |
| Maine | 647 | 72% | 11% | 16% | 1% | 0% |
| Michigan | 4,455 | 65% | 15% | 16% | 3% | 1% |
| Minnesota | 1,811 | 71% | 10% | 16% | 2% | 1% |
| Missouri | 4,019 | 70% | 13% | 16% | 1% | 1% |
| Mississippi | 2,955 | 79% | 12% | 7% | 2% | 0% |
| Montana | 868 | 76% | 8% | 15% | 1% | 0% |
| North Carolina | 6,520 | 68% | 15% | 14% | 2% | 0% |
| North Dakota | 395 | 76% | 8% | 16% | 1% | 0% |
| Nebraska | 943 | 80% | 7% | 11% | 1% | 0% |
| New Hampshire | 524 | 62% | 9% | 26% | 2% | 1% |
| New Jersey | 2,656 | 51% | 29% | 15% | 4% | 1% |
| New Mexico | 1,798 | 64% | 22% | 12% | 2% | 1% |
| Nevada | 1,625 | 51% | 23% | 21% | 3% | 1% |
| New York | 4,556 | 51% | 26% | 18% | 4% | 1% |
| Ohio | 5,027 | 68% | 12% | 18% | 2% | 1% |
| Oklahoma | 2,828 | 71% | 13% | 13% | 2% | 1% |
| Oregon | 2,326 | 64% | 17% | 15% | 3% | 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,747 | 63% | 15% | 19% | 2% | 1% |
| Rhode Island | 238 | 60% | 16% | 20% | 4% | 1% |
| South Carolina | 4,377 | 66% | 16% | 15% | 2% | 0% |
| South Dakota | 571 | 73% | 9% | 17% | 1% | 0% |
| Tennessee | 5,160 | 71% | 14% | 14% | 1% | 1% |
| Texas | 17,362 | 66% | 18% | 13% | 2% | 1% |
| Utah | 1,208 | 66% | 14% | 15% | 3% | 1% |
| Virginia | 3,810 | 70% | 14% | 13% | 2% | 1% |
| Vermont | 278 | 69% | 9% | 20% | 1% | 0% |
| Washington | 2,956 | 61% | 20% | 16% | 2% | 1% |
| Wisconsin | 2,405 | 71% | 10% | 17% | 2% | 1% |
| West Virginia | 1,064 | 76% | 9% | 14% | 1% | 0% |
| Wyoming | 495 | 77% | 7% | 16% | 1% | 0% |
Shares of deaths within 30 days of a crash (FARS), states in alphabetical order. They say who died, not who is more at risk: states differ in how many people walk, ride and drive, and how far.
What struck the people killed on foot and on bikes
5,263 pedestrians and bicyclists died from 2021–2024. 39% were struck by a car, 22% were struck by an SUV, 15% were struck by a pickup, 5% were struck by a van, 4% were struck by a large truck or bus.
- 66% were struck by a vehicle on a road posted 40 mph or more (of those with a posted limit recorded).
- 77% died in a crash in the dark, and 61% between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- 27% were hit by a driver who left the scene.
Cars are the most common vehicle on the road, so they are the most common in these counts. Without miles driven they can't show which kind of vehicle is more likely to kill.
Deaths in crashes in California, 2021–2024
| Year | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,513 | |
| 2022 | 4,539 | |
| 2023 | 4,169 | |
| 2024 | 3,876 |
FARS publishes final counts about a year after the crashes, so the newest year is not here yet.
What crash deaths cost California
NHTSA puts the average economic cost of one traffic death, in medical bills, lost work, emergency services and legal costs, at about $1.6 million (2019 dollars). Counting the value of the life itself, it is $11.3 million.
Applied to California's 4,274 deaths a year, that is about $6.8 billion a year in economic cost, or $48 billion a year counting quality of life. Deaths only: injuries and damaged vehicles add more.
A rough estimate from national averages, not a measurement of California's own costs. Source: The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2019 (Revised), NHTSA, DOT HS 813 403.
California cities with the most crash deaths
Counts, not rates. Large cities have more deaths partly because more people live and drive there.
| City | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1,345 |
| San Diego | 444 |
| Sacramento | 269 |
| Fresno | 264 |
| San Jose | 263 |
| Bakersfield | 243 |
| San Bernardino | 183 |
| Long Beach | 175 |
| San Francisco | 157 |
| Riverside | 155 |
| Oakland | 152 |
| Stockton | 136 |
| Victorville | 121 |
| Anaheim | 112 |
| Fontana | 108 |
Cars and other ways to get around
Per mile travelled, the national figures put motorcycle riders and cyclists above people in cars. The death counts on this page only hold crashes with a motor vehicle, so every person on foot or on a bike in them was struck by one: 46% by an SUV, pickup, van or truck. Driving alone gives off more CO2 per passenger-mile than the transit modes listed.
| Mode | Deaths per 100 million miles | Cost to you, per mile | CO2 per passenger-mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, driving alone | 1.13car occupants, per 100 million vehicle-miles, 2023 (NHTSA) | 76¢IRS business mileage rate for a car, 2026 (from July 1) (IRS) | 0.96 lbone person in the car, 2008 (FTA) |
| Motorcycle | 31.39riders, per 100 million vehicle-miles, 2023 (NHTSA) | — | — |
| Transit bus | — | — | 0.64 lbnational average occupancy, 2008 (FTA) |
| Rail transit | — | — | 0.22 lbheavy rail (subway); light rail 0.36, commuter rail 0.33, 2008 (FTA) |
| Bicycle | 7.9cyclists, per 100 million miles bicycled (79 per billion), 2011–2015 (NTSB) | — | Noneno emissions from the vehicle |
| Walking | — | — | Noneno emissions from the traveller |
National figures, not California's. A dash means we found no comparable official figure, so none is shown. The columns use different measures: deaths per vehicle-mile for cars and motorcycles, per mile bicycled for cyclists, so compare them with care. What struck people on foot and on bikes is shown above.
Space for cars in California
Each city coloured by how much of its land is driving lanes plus mapped parking. Click one for its numbers. Both parts are floors, so the real shares are higher; how each is measured is under the table.
Roads cover an estimated 1,122 square miles of California: more than the land area of Rhode Island. Mapped parking lots and garages add another 129.
Inside California's 483 incorporated cities, driving lanes cover at least 6.1% of the land, and mapped parking at least 1.3%. That leaves out sidewalks, medians, shoulders, parking lanes and every unmapped lot, so the real shares are higher.
| City | Land, sq mi | Driving lanes | Mapped parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 471 | 8.4% | 1.5% |
| San Diego | 326 | 6.3% | 1.9% |
| Sacramento | 99 | 8.6% | 2.6% |
| Fresno | 116 | 8%* | 1.3% |
| San Jose | 178 | 7% | 2.1% |
| Bakersfield | 150 | 4.9%* | 0.7% |
| San Bernardino | 63 | 6.1% | 1.3% |
| Long Beach | 51 | 10.4% | 3% |
| San Francisco | 47 | 11.7% | 1.9% |
| Riverside | 81 | 6.5% | 1.1% |
| Oakland | 56 | 9% | 2.5% |
| Stockton | 63 | 7.1%* | 0.7% |
| Victorville | 74 | 4.2% | 0.9% |
| Anaheim | 50 | 9.1% | 2.2% |
| Fontana | 43 | 7.4% | 1.2% |
Share of each city's land (Census). Driving lanes are an estimate: road length from OpenStreetMap times its width tag, or its lane count at 3.5 m a lane (one lane each way when the lanes are not tagged). * Under half of this city's main roads have a lane count in OpenStreetMap, so most of its width is that assumption. Parking is only the lots and garages volunteers have mapped, so it is a minimum, and cities are mapped unevenly. Land and boundaries: US Census Bureau.
Common questions
- How many people are killed in car crashes in California each year?
- 17,097 people died within 30 days of a crash on a California public road from 2021–2024, an average of 4,274 a year, or 11.7 a day. By year: 2021: 4,513, 2022: 4,539, 2023: 4,169, 2024: 3,876.
- Who dies in these crashes?
- people in a car, truck or van 54%, people on foot 27%, people on a motorcycle 14%, people on a bicycle 4%, other 1% of the 17,097 deaths from 2021–2024. Every number counts people who died, whatever the vehicle that was involved.
- How often does a crash injure someone in California?
- 823,652 reported crashes from 2021–2025 injured at least one person: on average one every 3 minutes, day and night.
- What kind of vehicle kills people on foot and on bikes?
- Of the 5,263 pedestrians and bicyclists who died, 39% were struck by a car, 22% were struck by an SUV, 15% were struck by a pickup, 5% were struck by a van, 4% were struck by a large truck or bus (the rest were struck by another or an unrecorded vehicle). Cars are the most common because they are the most common vehicle; the counts do not say which vehicle is more likely to kill per mile driven.
- What does a traffic death cost?
- NHTSA estimates the average economic cost of one traffic death, in 2019 dollars, at about $1.6 million, and $11.3 million when the value of a life is included. That is a national average, not a measure of any California city's actual costs.
- How do cars compare with other ways of getting around?
- Per mile travelled, national figures put motorcycle riders (31.39 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles, 2023, NHTSA) and cyclists (about 7.9 per 100 million miles bicycled, 2011–2015, NTSB) above car occupants (1.13, NHTSA 2023). FARS only records crashes involving a motor vehicle, so every pedestrian and bicyclist in it was struck by one: 46% by an SUV, pickup, van or truck. The IRS business mileage rate for a car is 76 cents a mile (from July 1, 2026), and the average US household spent $13,318 on transportation in 2024, 17% of its spending (BLS). Driving alone emits about 0.96 pounds of CO2 per passenger-mile, against 0.22 for subway-type rail and 0.64 for a transit bus (FTA, 2008 data). We found no comparable federal per-mile death rate for buses, rail or walking, so none is shown.
- How dangerous are cars to people who are not in them?
- 5,263 of the 17,097 people who died in California crashes from 2021–2024 (31%) were on foot or on a bicycle, and another 6,536 died in a vehicle that crashed with another vehicle. Nationally in 2023, cars, SUVs, pickups and vans struck 6,987 people on foot or on bicycles who died, about 0.24 per 100 million vehicle-miles, a rate close to that of motorcycles, buses and large trucks. CDC records show 7 US pedestrians killed in collisions with bicycles in 2023, against 2,760 with cars, pickups or vans.
- How much land do roads and parking take up in California?
- Roads cover an estimated 1,122 square miles of California, more than the land area of Rhode Island, and mapped parking lots and garages another 129. Inside the 483 incorporated cities, roadway covers at least 6.1% of the land and mapped parking at least 1.3%. Both are floors: road area is length times an assumed lane width, and parking is only what OpenStreetMap volunteers have mapped.
- Where does this data come from?
- Deaths come from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the federal census of every fatal crash on a public road, run by NHTSA. Injury crash counts come from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. Land use comes from OpenStreetMap and the US Census. All are open data.
What are California's cities and lawmakers doing about it?
Cities that promised zero deaths, next to the deaths that followed, and the laws passed and vetoed, each with its date and source.
How did California's streets come to be built for cars?
The 1930s federal maps that graded neighborhoods, the freeways that run through them today, and the laws and decisions in between, each with its source.
How many hours a year does getting around take?
Commute time by driving, carpooling, transit and walking, and a household's transportation spending in hours of work.
Sources: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (deaths, 2021–2024) and the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS) for injury crashes, OpenStreetMap and the US Census for land use. Counts only, with no traffic counts, so none of this says how risky a place is. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-01. How the data works.